God whispered the words in the title above for the first time on a camping trip when our boys were young. I was sitting on the shore of a small protected lake in Wisconsin keeping my eyes on our son. My husband and I had let Jeff, maybe 8 years old at the time, take our canoe out by himself.

He was perhaps 50 yards from shore, sitting, smiling, enjoying, probably listening to the birds, and feeling the slight rock of the canoe in the warm summer breezes. It was the perfect picture of peacefulness, for Jeff and for me.

Enjoying, peacefulness, awareness, listening ~ all words I would use to describe sabbath-living. I imagine for Jeff that was a time of sabbath, even though in his short 8 years he had probably never heard the word. There was nothing else he was supposed to be doing. There was nothing else I was supposed to be doing.

Now that same phrase, there is nothing else you’re supposed to be doing, often surfaces when we’re on vacation.

Just last month I sat on the wide front porch of our VRBO, cuddled in a soft blanket, and my vacation phrase came back. The creek was running loud because of the thunder storms the night before. The deep green of the Cottonwoods and the lighter green of the Aspen were quiet that morning, the breezes non-existent. The sky was slowly morphing from overcast to patches of blue. I sipped my coffee and breathed deeply of God’s gift of sabbath. There was nothing else I was supposed to be doing.

A simple sentence ushers in contentment, peace, and profound truth.

Another sentence I haven’t forgotten brings a smile and ministry. Together these two sentences have brought definition to what I have come to call sabbath-living.

You don’t look Jewish. It was spoken to me a few years back and in remembering, now like then, it makes me smile. I was in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport and had struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler. I learned that she was a Bible study leader in a well-known Bible study ministry. I told her I was on my way to facilitate a Sabbath-Living retreat. Her surprised response, you don’t look Jewish, tumbled out of her mouth. For her the word sabbath was a cultural word connected with the Jewish faith.

I laughed and responded, I wasn’t Jewish, I was Christian.

For me, the phrase Sabbath-Living is a way to describe a life-style of connecting with God, and enjoying His presence. It defines my (almost) daily times with God, my quiet time and what I hear referred to as extended time with God.

And I’ve come to call the retreats I lead Sabbath-Living. They are a time of developing and deepening your friendship with God, of listening for his love, resting in his presence, and of experiencing sabbath-living.

In enjoying these times of sabbath, I also know, there is nothing else I’m supposed to be doing!

“Be still and know that I am God,
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalm 46:10

The phone call came, a year ago, as Bill and I were driving west for a week of vacation in Utah. It was Sunday. My sister had taken Mom to the ER, her third trip to the hospital in four months.

It never occurred to me that they would install a pacemaker.
It never occurred to me that Mom would not recover.
It never occurred to me that we would bring Mom home to Hospice.
It never occurred to me that Mom would experience heaven in less than two weeks.

We continued on.

Los Vados, our vacation destination, is tucked in a beautiful canyon near Moab. This lovely home has beckoned us back many years to enjoy the desert quiet, the solitude, the remote location, and the swimming pool. Up the hill from the deck is the one place we are able to get a cell connection. I walked up that hill many times Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday as my sisters kept me up to date with Mom in New Jersey. Late Tuesday afternoon, we decided to abort vacation and I headed east.

These last few weeks I’ve been remembering, re-living, grieving, and going through not a few tissues. One year ago today _____, one year ago today _____.

And in the midst, I’m thankful.

Mom is in heaven free of those earth-bound realities that so frustrated her 97 year old body.

I’m thankful for the heritage of values that Mom left for me. The values of presence, of family, of hospitality, of faith, of honoring, of creativity, of hard work, and more were all woven into the fabric of her being.

“She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;”
Proverbs 31:27, 28a

Although I live those values differently, Mom planted the seeds and faithfully watered those values. They took root in my life.

Perhaps the value seed I’m most thankful for is the unique seed of release and support. Mom, and Dad too, knew how to release their daughters, to give us wings, to allow us to become.

But as they released, they continued to support. Mom was always interested in my family. What were the boys doing; how were the boys doing? And as our boys grew and married and had families of their own, I could always count on Mom to listen to all my gramma stories. Even into her 90’s she welcomed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren into her home.

As I remember back one year, I’m also more deeply thankful for my three sisters.

 

Our relationship changed this past year. We’ve walked through the valley of the reality of death together. At times it’s been hard. But it has also opened new doors among us. I’m appreciating each of them in new ways. I’ve experienced strengths that covered for my weaknesses. I see those value seeds that Mom planted alive in them as well, blooming differently than mine, but blooming complimenting their own unique designs.

Mom ended her life well. I think Mom would say, mission accomplished. She left each of us a giant gift, a picture of her love. Thank you Mom! I love you.

 

“Tell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.”
Joel 1:3

 

 

 

 

Ann Voskamp’s words in the introduction to her book, The Way of Abundance, caused me to stop reading, grab my highlighter, re-read, and think, and think, and think.

“Isn’t all fear … just a belief that God’s love ends?”
(page 13)

 

Do I believe God’s love ends? No, but do I live like that is my belief?

Last March my husband Bill woke up on a Tuesday morning and most of the vision in his left eye was gone. His vision was normal when he put his head on the pillow just eight hours before. After several tests, two doctors, and a month’s time, he was diagnosed with Naion. Thankfully the vision in his right eye was normal  … until May. Now Naion is in both eyes! Bill is living with only peripheral vision.

“When Jesus saw her weeping … he was deeply moved … and greatly troubled.”
John 11:33, italics mine.

Jesus loved Mary a lot; he was deeply moved and greatly troubled! He loved her and hurt with her over her loss, the death of her brother Lazarus.

Jesus loves my husband too, and hurts with him. In Mary’s case, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. We are praying that Bill’s vision will be restored, but so far God is manifesting his love in other ways.

In describing God’s love, Ephesians 3:17-19 is a bit of an enigma. “… that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend … what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge …” How can we know something that surpasses knowledge?* (Italics mine)

Psalm 139:6 (The Passion Translation), “This is just too wonderful, Deep and incomprehensible!”

This truth may be beyond our understanding, but not beyond our trust.
This truth is dependent on God’s character, not my fathoming it.

God’s love has no limit!

God’s peace is incomprehensible! It has no limit. Philippians 4:7.

God’s mercies never end! They are new every morning. There is no limit. Lamentations 3:22.

God’s greatness is unsearchable! It has no limit. Psalm 145:3.

*According to my study Bible, the notes of Ephesians 3:19 tell me, “To know what surpasses knowledge is the sublime privilege of the Christian.”

“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?”
Job 11:7

“Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Romans 11:33

I wonder, what are you living with that challenges you with the truth that God’s love, his peace, his mercies, his greatness, and so much more know no limits?

 

 

Hello Echoes of Grace Friends,

Welcome back! I’m glad you returned.

After an extra long summer break, the technical glitches have been solved, Echoes has a new look, and I’ve been collecting thoughts to share with you.

The new picture above is compliments of my good friend, Kathy Lorimor. Motivated by Psalm 16:11, I collect pictures of paths. I especially love this one because this curvy path leads through the woods. I love walking in the woods. And because of the twists and turns on this path, it reminds me of our lives ~ full of twists and turns.

My prayer for you is that the words of Echoes each week will offer encouragement to you as you traverse the twists and turns of your paths.

With September usually come many opportunities to join, to grow, to serve. My email box has been bulging the past few weeks. I bet yours has too. But we all have limits!

 

So the question … when to say yes, when to say no, and when to say maybe? One opportunity that landed in my maybe pile is GriefShare. Mom died last September. I wonder if God will meet me through this ministry. Maybe.

Keep reading and I’ll share with you one principle that helps me land on the yes, the no, or the maybe.

 

Knowing My Limits

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore”
Psalm 16:11

Ahhhh, September, the gateway to a new year. (I’m a teacher by training. For teachers often September is the start of the year.) Enticing opportunities, good opportunities abound. The I shoulds, I coulds, and the I’d really like to rumble through my mind. And you know, my fall calendar has some white space.

DECISIONS …

My mind wandered to John the Baptist. Much of his narrative is recorded in John 1 and John 3. As I re-read those familiar words, something new caught my attention.

John 1:19 – “… Who are you?”       John 1:23 – “… I am the voice …”
John 1:30 – ” … After me comes a man who ranks before me …”
John 3:28 – ” … I am not the Christ …”
John 3:29 – in an allegory he identifies himself as the friend of the bridegroom.
John 3:30 – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John’s words are all responses to the religious leaders in chapter 1 who were challenging his identity; and in chapter 3 to some of his followers who were trying to understand his limits.

Both times John responds with identity statements.

And his identity determined his participation.
John the Baptist knew his limits.

Could that same principle help me know my limits? YES!

My … Our … most important identity is our child of God Identity. One of my favorite scriptures that speak of this identity is I John 3:1.

“How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us …
that we should be called children of God …
and that is exactly who we are.”
I John 3:1

With that identity comes desires and responsibilities.
With that identity comes opportunities I need to be faithful to.
With that identity comes opportunities I need to pass on and grieve.

Wrapped in my identity are God imposed limits.
Wrapped in my identity is God’s protection.
Wrapped in my identity is God’s design for me.
Wrapped in my identity is another opportunity to trust his love.

I (like you) have other identities that factor into my limits.
I’m a wife, a gramma (and a mother), a friend, a sister, and a missionary to name a few.

Remembering my primary identity, often brings clarity to the opportunities that come my way and define my limits for me.

John called himself the friend of the bridegroom who is Jesus. We too are called friends of Jesus (John 15:15).

As Jesus’ friend, John hears Jesus’ voice, he rejoices, and his joy is complete (John 3:29)!

Living in his limits, knowing his identity ushered in complete joy.

Please come back next week for some thoughts on No Limits.

BTW, when you sign up to follow Echoes of Grace, I also send a short personal note your way almost every week including a devotional thought. In next week’s note I’m going to share some other principles that help me define my limits. Or just email me sue@suetell.com, and I’ll be glad to sign you up.